


What beautiful scales you have!

by lunaemoth



Series: December Images Prompts Challenge [5]
Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor (Movies)
Genre: Awesome Darcy Lewis, Challenge Response, F/M, Fluff, Fuckyeahdarcylewis 30 Day Cheesy Tropes And Rare Pairs Challenge, Mermaid Darcy, Merpeople, Sharing Clothes, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-20
Updated: 2015-02-22
Packaged: 2018-03-02 12:39:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,663
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2812301
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lunaemoth/pseuds/lunaemoth
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Day 20 of fuckyeahdarcylewis.tumblr.com December Challenge, based on <a href="http://media.tumblr.com/db4557650723361ea0ad63cd035fe382/tumblr_inline_nfawoxrgMM1qbvhdg.jpg">this image</a>. NOW with Chapters 2 & 3 for the Cheesy Tropes and Rare Pair Challenge, <i>trope #21 - Superhero</i> AU (it's not really an AU though, oops) & <i>trope #29 - Clothes Sharing</i>.</p><p> <br/>When Darcy and Jane are threatened, Darcy has no other choice than transforming. SHIELD (or what's left of it) rescue them and, well... she'll bite the next one who calls her Ariel.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Little Mermaid

**Author's Note:**

> This story doesn't talk about the AoS plot so no spoilers here. It's best if you've a least watch until 2x05 since some characters could puzzle you otherwise, though. Let's say this story happens after 2x05 and anything else is AU. For those of you who watched everything including 2x10... well, you'll understand me when I say I've Triplett feelings, right? ;) 
> 
>    
>  **NB:** I'm french and this isn't beta-ed. If you notice any mistakes, please send me a comment with the way to correct it and I'd be pleased to do so.  
>  You can find me on tumblr : lunaemoth.tumblr.com

It was pure confusion, a nightmare and a mess. So, of course Jane and she were in the middle of it. They were in Boston for a conference during which Jane was supposed to finally prove to the scientific community how awesome she was. It never happened.

Because _someone_ was trying to kill – or kidnap? that wasn’t clear – them apparently. As they walked away from their car, Darcy had heard a shout something like “Get down!” and she had flung herself at Jane just before she heard gun fire. Then they were people (she saw a glimpse of an Asian badass lady) grabbing her, telling them to stand up and run and that’s what they did. They ran from the Convention Center. They were a few streets away and Darcy could see the channel in front of them.

Tires were squealing and cars were coming left and right. They were all in black, with guns everywhere and Darcy couldn’t differentiate between the good guys trying to save them and the ones shooting at them.

So, Darcy chose the safest escape way. She shouted: “Jane! Dive in the water!”

The little woman was better at running than Darcy; she was a few feet before her and she screamed: “What?!”

“Trust me!”

Jane – blessed her heart – changed her course and sprinted to the wall separating them from the water a few dozen feet down. No-one was expecting it and the black guys moving to block her way floundered for a short moment, enough for Jane to climb the wall and jump. Darcy followed her a few seconds later but they had recovered from their surprise. They shot. Darcy felt a pain in her leg as she jumped and swore.

She sank in the murky water and quickly shimmied out of her pants and shoes. Just in time: the transformation was starting. Her legs merged and her chest itched. She removed her coat too, it was too heavy once soaked and it was ruined anyway, along with her phone. In less than a minute, she took her mermaid shape and shoot off to grab Jane by the waist and support her.

Darcy let her head emerged only. Jane stared at her – or rather her second eyelids, the translucent ones protecting her eyes from water – wide-eyed. Jane knew who her assistant really was since she decided to keep her to travel the world but it was the first time she saw her in that shape up-close.

“So, that’s…”

“… how a mermaid look like? Yep, come on, let’s get out of here.”

She could still hear some gun fire and she took them away from the bank, to the other side of the channel. They floated for a while, Darcy maintaining Jane with a firm hand around her waist and strokes from her tail.

“We can’t stay like that indefinitely Darcy, it’s too cold for me,” Jane reminded her.

“Yeah, I know, but–”

Someone called for them and they raised their head to see a well-known face above the wall. Darcy blinked and tightened her grip around Jane, ready to bolt.

“Coulson?” Jane exclaimed.

“I don’t know if anyone told you buddy, but you’re supposed to be dead,” Darcy added.

Agent Son of Coul smiled. “I’m aware. I’m not though. It’s a long story. We’re dealing with the AIM soldiers as I speak. Come up, we’ll extract you.” He pointed at a boat ramp a little farther.

Darcy glanced at Jane and sighed when she nodded. “We don’t have much choice, I guess,” she muttered and swam to the ramp. She helped Jane climbed on it.

The astrophysicist was shivering and dripping. Coulson quickly came forward, promising dry clothes in the car. “Miss Lewis, please, hurry,” he said.

“I can’t.”

He blinked. “Why?”

She sighed, looked around them to make sure no curious walker will see her. It was late and cloudy, night was falling and the luminosity wasn’t good. There wasn’t much risk but she had to be quick.

“I’ve been shot.” She ignored Jane’s gasp and raised her orange tail close enough to the surface for Coulson to see it. “When I’m like this, I can’t transform back unless my tail is healed.” The cold had numbed the pain but she wasn’t looking forward to staying in _that_ water for days.

To his credit, Coulson just blinked and floundered for a few seconds before getting back on track. “Can you live out of water like this?”

“Yeah. It’s not ideal but I can if I keep my scales hydrated.”

He nodded and touched his earpiece. “Skye, take the wheel and drive the van as close to the ramp as you can. Trip, I need you here, bring the biggest blanket we have.”

There was the sound of doors slamming, and a big black bald man in leather jacket walked to Coulson as a black van moved closer. “Boss?”

“Agent Triplett, Miss Lewis needs a little help to get out of the water and in the van. Be careful, she’s hurt,” Coulson explained, taking the blanket.

“Sure,” the newcomer said.

Darcy couldn’t miss the opportunity to get his flippant expression off, right? She smiled, showing off her pointy teeth and raised her tail again. He stopped in his tracks and blinked.

“Ok… I see the problem now,” he said.

Darcy laughed, pleased by his calm answer. She raised herself on the submerged part of the ramp, careful not to scratch her scales on the concrete. Triplett crouched and wrapped his arms around her waist and under her tail. Coulson stood nearby, covering the tail with the blanket as soon as she was out of the water (smart man).

They quickly walked to the van. Trip was trying to keep Darcy far enough to not be drenched and his waterproof jacket helped but he looked pretty awkward. Jane had opened the van’s backdoor and was waiting inside, concerned, a towel keeping her wet hair away from her face.

Darcy slid on the van’s floor with Triplett’s help and pushed the blanket away since it was tangling with her fins. Coulson stepped inside with them while his subordinate went back to the front.

The van immediately moved once they were all in and Darcy could hear a girl voice asking: “Everything’s alright?”

“We’ve an injured mermaid,” Triplett asked.

The van made an abrupt turn and the driver answered: “You’re pulling my leg!”

Darcy chuckled – or tried to. “Outch, Jane!” She whined when her boss checked her injury.

“The bullet is still inside. It explains the lack of blood but we need to extract it quickly. That water was filthy, we have to disinfect the wound,” Jane explained. She looked up at Coulson.

“Our base is one hour away,” he informed her, while offering her dry clothes. “Our facility is well stocked for medical care.”

Jane pursed her lips and took off her coat. “I don’t like it… but I’m not a physician…”

“With all due respect… I’m not sure there are many doctors knowing how to treat a mermaid,” Coulson answered, staring at the floor dutifully while they changed. He seemed to find the caudal fin fascinating.

Darcy groaned while trying to shimmy out of her clothes. To be in her mermaid shape out of the water was a pain. She had no balance and she banged into the walls several times. When she was finally naked, she huffed. “Jane, stop staring at my gills.”

“You’ve gills?!” came from the front.

She rolled her eyes. “How do you think I’m supposed to breathe underwater, dudes?”

“That’s… there’s a mermaid in the back,” the girl muttered.

“Yeah, I know. I saw her tail and I’m still trying to process it,” Triplett muttered, not low enough to not be heard in the back.

“Aww, sweetie, do you want a closer look?” Darcy offered with as much humor as she could muster when she was fighting with clothes.

“I might take you on that offer later.”

She burst into laughter, only stopping when the shirt pulled on her hair. She swore copiously.

“Well, damn, was that a fish curse? Mermaids have their own insults? Cool!” The girl said. “Oh. Hunter and May are here, Coulson!”

The van stopped and Darcy finally won her battle against the tricky shirt. The backdoor half-opened and the Asian lady stepped in. She blinked at the sight that greeted her but simply took a sit next to Coulson, carefully stepping over the fins. A man followed her and gawked.

“Where the fuck did you find _that fish_?” He blurted out.

Jane glared but Darcy was faster. She pushed on her arms against the ground to propel her tail; it moved in a ripple and smacked the guy in the crotch. He stumbled out of the van, falling on his ass and cursing. Darcy smirked, satisfied. It hurt but it was worth it. Coulson rubbed his face and sighed.

“Trip, Hunter will take your place to avoid… diplomatic accidents.”

“Oh, can I come too? I want to meet the mermaid!” the driver girl whined.

“I’ll drive,” May offered, “and keep an eye on Hunter.” Something in her eyes probably meant that she’ll be expecting explanations later.

Coulson nodded and they switched places. When the girl – a few years younger than Darcy – stepped in, she breathed in and gestured at the tail. “That’s awesome. That’s totally awesome. Can I say you have a gorgeous tail? Is it ok? Because I love the orange.”

“Skye, sit down,” Coulson sighed.

Darcy smiled. She liked that girl – better than the other dude. “It’s okay. Thank you. I like your haircut.”

Skye grinned and sit next to Jane. The van started again. Jane, who had finished drying her hair, accepted gratefully the tie Skye gave to her and put her hair in a bun. She gave the towel to Darcy who simply put it around her head to keep the water from her shirt. She noticed the looks they gave her and rolled her eyes.

“If one of you takes a picture, I’ll push you in the ocean and drag you to the bottom.”

“There’s no ocean near the base,” came from the front.

“Hunter, right? I’ll find an alternative way, just for you, it involves my pointy teeth.”

“I was just saying Ariel–outch, fine I get it May, I get it!”

“Is he always such a dick?” Darcy sighed, trying to adjust her position and wincing.

“Yes,” Triplett and Skye immediately answered. Darcy snorted.

Jane was focused on her face. She asked: “Are you okay?”

“No. The cold water numbed the pain before but it’s worsening. My scales will start to itch soon. I’m cold, looking horrible. And there’s a stupid guy nearby. It’s so not a good day Jane.” She carefully put the blanket back on her tail, hoping that even wet it’d warm her up a little.

“I know,” Jane sighed. She looked up at Coulson: “Who is AIM? What did they want?”

“They’re a scientific organization with illicit interests. Iron Man fought them two years ago but they’re persistent. They wanted you. We intercepted their communications a few hours ago.”

“I think the conf’ is a no go, Boss Lady,” Darcy noted.

“I don’t care about it. I’m worried about you. Did you hurt your tail before?”

“Yeah, some scratches mostly. Oh, I got cut by a boat’s propeller once, but I was small, I don’t remember much, except that I didn’t went to school for one week waiting for it to heal.”

“Mermaids have school?” Hunter said.

Darcy rolled her eyes. “Yes, they do. I went to school just like everyone else and I have a degree in political science from Culver, buddy.”

“Oh, ok.”

“I must admit Miss Lewis, I don’t remember that part about New Mexico,” Coulson commented with a lopsided smile.

“I don’t tend to tell my secret to government guys, Son of Coul. Finishing as a guinea pig is not my idea of a good time.”

“You told Ms Foster…”

“… after we fought an asgardian Destroyer together, yeah.”

“I don’t want to meddle but why would you go to New Mexico? I mean, there isn’t much water there, right?” Skye asked.

“I needed to be away from Culver. Anywhere was okay. The internship was perfect for it. I went to some lakes when I needed to swim.”

“Why did you have to leave Culver?”

“Someone saw me,” she simply said, in a sharp tone of voice that convinced everyone to stay away from the subject.

“So, mh… your parents are mermaids?” Skye asked, changing the subject quickly.

“Yes. Well, we say merpeople to include the mermaids and the mermen you know…”

She nodded. “ Yeah, of course… are there lots of merpeople?”

“No. Poaching and pollution mostly killed everyone. I mean, that water, in the channel? Horrible. My gills are sticky.”

“Gills?!”

Darcy sighed and ignored Hunter. “In short, ogle all you want, I’m probably the only one you’ll ever see.” She shivered and her tail twitched. A moment later, it started to shudder and didn’t stop.

“Darcy?” Jane asked, worried.

“I’m too cold. In water I warm up by shaking my tail, it’s instinctive,” Darcy explained. She winced at the shift of her injury.

“Do we have more blankets or clothes?” Skye asked Coulson. He shook his head. Triplett took off his leather jacket and offered it to Darcy.

“Thanks, Prince Charming,” she whispered, putting it on quickly. It was warm thanks to his body temperature and she closed it quickly, raising the collar around her neck and burying her chin inside. She pulled on the sleeves and hid her hands inside. Since it was too big for her, it was perfect for her needs. Her shivering subsided.

“Better?” Triplett asked.

She nodded and waved her hidden hand at him. “Much better. Thanks.”

“I’m going to warn our team they need to prepare for medical care,” Coulson said, taking his phone out of his suit.

“More people staring at me like I’m a circus freak, great,” Darcy muttered.

“It’s okay, our people are cool, I promise,” Skye said. Darcy raised an eyebrow and pointed at the wall behind her in the direction of the passenger seat. Skye made a face and waved her hands to mitigate. “Well, you know, some more than others…”

“I’ll tell them to keep it quiet, minimum crew,” Coulson promised. Darcy nodded in thanks. “Is there anything our physician needs to know…?”

She shrugged “It works mostly the same as a fish tail.”

“Simmons’s going to have a field day with this,” Skye noted. She explained quickly to Darcy: “She’s mostly a biologist. She likes to… discover new… things?”

Darcy raised an eyebrow and Triplett shook his head. “Abort, Skye.”

“Yeah, totally. Sorry about that.” Skye shut up and let Coulson make his phone call in peace.

The van took a sharp turn and Darcy slid on the ground, whining when her tail bend. Jane sat next to her and put her arms around her waist to hold her against the movements of the car.

“You’re going to be wet, Boss Lady,” Darcy noted.

“I’m already so damp I’d be surprised if I don’t catch a cold,” Jane answered with a shrug.

“Can mermaids catch a cold?” Hunter asked.

Darcy sighed and put her head on Jane’s shoulder. “I’m going to sleep, it’d be less painful.” She was mostly joking but she did fall asleep.

 

She woke up when someone’s arms came around her waist. She blinked to look at Triplett’s face. “Oh, hi, Prince Charming.”

“Hi, Little Mermaid. We’ve arrived, let’s get you out of here and somewhere warm.”

Her arms around his neck, she looked around. They were in some sort of garage. Jane was ahead with everyone else she had just met, talking to two women, one in a coat lab – probably the biologist – and the other, blond, with the same deadly look as the Asian lady.

“Trip? Can I call you Trip?”

“Knock yourself out.”

“I’m going to shiver again soon, my scales are itchy and it hurts like hell.”

“Speeding up, right now,” he muttered, lengthening his stride despite her weight. He moved past the crowd. “Simmons, hurry up. She’s not well.”

Darcy looked at the biologist over his shoulder. The woman was gaping before but she quickly put on a sprint to get to their level. Jane did the same on the other side, staring at Darcy’s worriedly.

“Hi, mh, Miss Lewis?”

“It’s Darcy.”

“Darcy, hi, I’m Doctor Jemma Simmons. Is there anything you’re allergic to? Some products I shouldn’t use on your… scales?”

“Nothing comes to mind. My tail needs to be humidified though, or I’m going to lose dry scales everywhere. It won’t be pretty for anyone. You’re going to hear me whine for days.”

They entered some sort of lab just when Darcy started to shudder. Triplett cursed when he lost his grip on her tail, barely managing to keep them both from falling on the ground.

“Sorry,” Darcy whispered.

“You warned me,” he simply answered before calling: “Mack, give me a hand?”

She thought Triplett was tall, the man who came forward was a giant. He picked her up, barely grunting when her tail smacked him, and laid her on a table, keeping a loose arm around her tail to stop her from falling.

“Fitz! Can you bring the water spray?!” Simmons shouted, grabbing a pile of blankets and giving one each to Jane and Triplett. They spread them on Darcy. Once wrapped in them, her towel falling to the ground and her hair out of the way, her shudders calmed down.

A shier young man came forward and blinked at Darcy. His mouth moved but nothing came from it as Simmons took the pistol and applied a generous amount of water on the scales.

“Hi,” Darcy said to the shy guy because he looked lost and she had a thing for lost puppies. “Are you a scientist too?”

“Hi. Uh… I– yes. Yes, I’m. I’m an engineer.”

“That’s cool. Look, Jane…” She poked at her friend hovering next to her. “Scientists! You can make friends!”

Jane rolled her eyes and grabbed her hand, squeezing gently. “We’ll see about that once you’re better. What do you think Doctor Simmons?”

The biologist lady was looking at the wound closely. “It isn’t deep, it seems easy enough. Of course, you’re right, infection is the highest risk, but I’ve a good stock of betadine and antibiotics.”

“Betadine’s cool, it matches my scales,” Darcy remarked.

“Yes, you’ve beautiful scales,” Simmons answered distractedly.

“Your ladies are really nice,” Darcy said, looking up to Trip.

He smiled at her. “I know.”

“You too, and Coulson’s cool when he isn’t stealing iPod,” Trip raised an eyebrow but she continued to babble: “but that other guy…”

“What did Hunter do, now?” The giant sighed while assisting the Doc with her tools. He tried to look calm but his wary glances to her tail betrayed him.

“He called her a fish as soon as he saw her,” Trip informed them.

Mack winced. Fitz said “That’s really not…”

“…nice,” Simmons finished, “in fact, that’s rude. I’m going to inject a local anesthetic, Darcy, you won’t feel anything. It’s best if you don’t look. Trip, Dr Foster, if you could hold the blanket to hide… Yes, like that, perfect, thank you. I’m beginning Darcy, breathe deeply and relax.”

“Hunter has no tact, don’t take what he says at heart,” Mack advised as he gave Simmons what she asked for.

“Darcy kicked him in the crotch with her tail, he fall on his backside,” Jane informed them to distract her friend and she succeeded: Darcy grinned with a vindictive smirk.

“Yes, I did.”

“I’m so sorry to have missed that,” Trip noted, shaking his head sadly.

“So am I,” Mack added.

 

***

**Two weeks later**

 

Darcy smiled and waved at the SHIELD agents walking in the snow towards the small cabin where she recovered. She was sitting on the front steps, taking in the snowy view. Skye and Simmons waved back and smiled at her little pool covered by ice. She used it to hydrate her tail, before it froze. “That’s funny. I’ve to take a pic. Can I, pretty please?” Skye begged.

“Ok, if you promise to keep it private.” Darcy shrugged and gave her thumbs-up.

Triplett stepped out of the house as Skye finished and he shook his head. “Come on, Darcy, you’re going to freeze here; as if your cold wasn’t bad enough.”

“But, snow! Trip!”

“Yeah, yeah. I gave you five minutes. You saw the snow.”

“How’s it going Trip? Being the mermaid wrangler?” Skye wondered, hiding her snickering.

“It’s a lot of heavy lifting,” he answered, carrying Darcy carefully. She smacked him in the shoulder and stuck her tongue at him.

They walked into the little house living room where Jane was reading, a pile of used tissues on her lap. Triplett put Darcy down in her usual armchair while the others exchanged greetings.

“So, Darcy, how do you feel?” Simmons asked.

“Frustrated to be unable to do anything… But you’re talking about my tail. I’m pretty sure I’ll be able to change back soon.”

Simmons took a look at her injury. It had healed well and was no more than a superficial wound now. “How will you know when you can change?”

“Well, I know when I _can’t_ change for sure. After that, I have to try…” She wrinkled her nose and focused on her tail, picturing them as legs… “Oh!” She grabbed the blanket draped on the back of the armchair to cover her thighs. The change was starting, her fins shrinking under the curious stares of her friends. The tail split in two, lost its scales and became legs. When it was done, Darcy released a painful wail, squirming on her chair.

“Darcy? Darcy, what’s wrong?!” They asked, Jane leaving quickly her chair.

“It hurts! Pins and needles, cramps…”

“Of course,” Simmons mumbled. “Blood circulation and muscles need to be stimulated.”

Triplett got it from here, kneading the flesh, feet, calves and thighs. His hands were large and easily worked her tense muscles. Slowly, Darcy calmed down, breathing deeply. She leaned on Trip’s shoulder and kissed him on the cheek. “My hero!” He rolled his eyes but winked at her when everyone had their back turned.

“Good!” Jane exclaimed. “Now that Darcy won’t scare anyone, I was promised a look at your facility.”

“Absolutely Doctor Foster, Fitz and I are thrilled you can stay with us a little longer, there’s so much we’d like to talk about…”

“Well, I’m going to warn Coulson you’ll be coming back today,” Skye decided, fleeing the science talks.

Left alone with Trip, Darcy sniffled and pouted. “I liked the idea to spend Christmas here, it’s cozy.”

“A small cabin with bare minimum?” Trip pulled a face. “There’s nothing here, no decorations, no pudding…”

“Well, your base is underground! How uncool is that? How I’m supposed to watch the snow from there?” She understood now, since Coulson explained after she was treated, that they were what was left of the _good_ part of SHIELD even if they were outlawed, and that, because of that last detail, they had to stay hidden. But, really, undergrood lair?! That wasn't cool. Darcy was an "outdoors creature", pun intended.

“Maybe…” He leaned to whisper: “But my bedroom can lock and is soundproofed.”

She froze. Ok, maybe she _could_ be convinced. “Well… if you put it that way.”

He smirked and stood up. “Should I carry you _again_?”

Considering she had no pants and no panties, she didn’t mull over his offer for long, not even for fun, but she decided there could be worse than spending Christmas underground. At least, she’ll be warm… you know what she meant.


	2. Turtle America

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I was (still am, in fact) sick. I was stuck to bed and bored, so of course fic ideas came to entertain me.  
> This is for the 30 Day Cheesy Tropes And Rare Pairs Challenge. I wanted to write something for it but I wasn't really inspired for a rare pair and then I thought "you're silly, you've already written something with a rare pairing and people asked you to write a sequel so just do that". So here is what I did with Trope #21 - Superhero !
> 
>  
> 
> Oh, and just to be clear: the Avengers know about Coulson not being dead, because it's easier, there.

“We should go watch the stars on the ocean, you said. I’ll take some measures and you’ll be able to swim. It would be peaceful, you said,” Darcy grumbled, hidden under a table.

“Well, I couldn’t know bad guys will choose _that_ boat to do bad things,” Jane protested from under the other table, making faces at her.

“Trouble, Jane. You’re nothing but trouble.”

A loud boom rocked the door and Darcy swore. “Fuck it. You know where we’ll be safe? The ocean.”

“Darcy, _I_ can’t breathe underwater!”

“Detail!” She crawled to the door, cracking it open to make sure the coast was clear. She caught sight of a red and gold streak and sputtered: “Holy shit, Jane, Iron Man is here!” Thunder sounded out and the sky, previously clear above the equator, filled with grey clouds.

“Thor?” Jane immediately asked, crawling hastily to her.

“Looks like it.”

“Does that mean you’ll forget your silly idea?” Jane hissed. When the mermaid gnawed at her lips in indecision, she used a different tactic: “If we’re not here when your boyfriend comes to check on us, he’ll be worried.”

That was a good point. Trip was cool, not the kind to freak out and scream at her, but his look alone if she worried him like that… She’ll feel guilty… and he’ll hold back sex for days to get back at her. She pouted and grumbled: “Fine.”

The fight seemed to last way too long but it was only two minutes later that she caught sight of Trip. He was engaged in a fist fight with a mercenary. No, to be exact, a mercenary was holding him in a headlock. Darcy saw the exact moment when he went slack from lack of air. The bad guy tried to push Trip over the side when a red, white and blue thing hit him at the back of the head.

Unbalanced, both men fell over the rail. Darcy reacted instinctively, ignoring Jane and unrecognizing the blue guy running this way. She just screamed Trip’s name, opened the door and threw herself over the side.

Her actions were instinctive: removing her sandals, putting her glasses in her bra and pushing her skirt higher on her waist. Her legs morphed seconds after she was submerged, her gills opening and her tail propelling her deeper. She was staying focused on Trip’s form, her sight reduced to him, ignoring the mercenary and the fishes. The water had woken him and he was struggling weakly, from lack of oxygen.

Darcy pushed herself faster, and opened her gills widely under her loose T-shirt. When she finally grabbed him, she held his face and did something that wasn’t natural in any way for a mermaid: she inhaled through her gills and exhaled through her mouth. It was a pain, but she gave him the last bit of air she had caught from the surface. It left her lungs empty and it burnt like hell but she didn’t care. She felt him twitched and it was enough. With powerful strokes, she propelled them upwards. On her way up, she passed by the red, white and blue thingy from earlier and finally recognized Captain America’s shield. She loosened her grip on Trip just long enough to catch it by its handle.    

When she finally broke through the water, she took a deep breathe to fill her lungs but Trip didn’t react. She swore. “Come on, Trip, don’t do that to me,” she pleaded. She adjusted her grip on him, which was not an easy thing with Cap’s shield, but she managed to have a firm hold enough to push brusquely on his belly, just under his ribs. He spit out water and woke up immediately, trashing so suddenly that Darcy lose her grip and he nearly went down again. Thankfully, a beat of her tail against his ass assured that he stayed where he could breathe. “It’s me Trip, you’re fine! Just let me hold you out of the water!”

The SHIELD agent coughed for a long time before glancing at her. “Did you just spank me?”

She burst into laughter and held him tightly. “You’re welcome.” She kissed his cheek. “Don’t scare me like that.”

“DARCY!”

The scream startled them and they looked up to see Jane waving. She was surrounded by Thor and… Captain America?

“Darcy, are you both alright?”

With Trip able to hold onto her, Darcy managed to raise her shield arm and gesture in what she hoped was understandable as “I totally saved my boyfriend like a kick-ass mermaid, yeaaah!”

She turned at a noise behind her and blinked when Iron Man lowered himself to hover above the water. “Need a way up?” he offered smugly.

“Yeah, go on and take him,” she agreed.

“Uh… Usually it’s ladies first.”

“Dude, I’m mistress of the seas, Thor fell under my wrath and Cap’s shield decorates my arm. Your misplaced chivalry is duly noted and ignored. Save the boyfriend, please.” She giggled when Trip clumsily pinched her, her tail floating closer to the surface.

Iron Man’s faceplate opened and Tony Stark gaped at her. “Is that a tail? You have a tail?”

Darcy channeled her best wrangling tone. “Scientific awe later, saving the day now.” She was quite proud when it worked. Stark led Trip to safety.

Now that she could swim freely, she played with the shield, knowing she would have to let it go as soon as she was on the boat. She twirled it on her head, made it bounce with her tail and used it as make-shift boat with a wide grin. She had never been able to play with Mjolnir, the blasted thing wouldn’t even move for her (not worthy, bah, she only wanted to swing it a little bit, that’s all! – stop smirking Thor, she wasn’t cute, she was very serious!), this was the best thing ever.

“This is the weirdest sight I’ve ever seen and I’ve seen a lot. Jarvis, tell me you’re recording this.”

Darcy stopped pretending she was a turtle long enough to stick her tongue out at Stark. “No judging or I won’t let you touch the tail.”

He immediately raised his hands. “No judging. This is a free judging zone. But your scales don’t color-match with the shield.”

She raised her milky eyes – an effect from her second eyelids – at him and gave him a wide-eyed pout. “Are you saying my scales aren’t pretty?”

“Totally not what I’m saying. I love the orange, very sparkly,” He gave her thumb-up and she laughed happily at his very honest tone. She raised her arms when he bowed down to catch her. As he lifted her out of the water, his eyes widened and he whistled. “Holy shit, that’s a tail alright. You’re a mermaid... Ok, that’s fine... Jarvis, call Bruce, I don’t fucking care what he’s doing, he has to see this.”

They rose in the air and Darcy shook her tail in excitement as she looked around and reminded herself she was in Iron Man’s arms. She grinned mischievously. “Can I brag to a friend about being in your arms?” Skye will be _so_ jealous!

Stark wiggled his eyebrows. “Knock yourself out.”

As he lowered her on the deck, Darcy inevitably landed on her ass – softly because Iron Man took care of his investments – and immediately crawled to Trip’s side. He was sitting beside Jane, back to a wall, catching his breath, and he smiled at her tenderly when she snuggled against him.

“Are you alright?” she asked, worriedly.

“Will be fine in a few,” he promised with a slightly hoarse voice. He kissed her cheek and nuzzled her temple. “Thanks baby.”

“Oh, I didn’t jump for you,” she immediately said, raising her chin, meeting Jane’s stare and grinning impishly. She raised the shield. “Look, I found a pretty shiny thing!” She hugged it and stroked it with her cheek resting on it.

“This is getting better and better,” Stark commented gleefully. “The mermaid hoards Cap’s shield!”

Before Captain America could say anything about that, Darcy’s tail started to morph. She grunted at the familiar feeling. It wasn’t painful but not really pleasant either. Stark was gawking and she adjusted her wet skirt on top of her thighs as the orange became white. Then, self-consciously, she folded her legs under her and, to distract the two Avengers from her, she offered her best innocent smile to Captain America with his shield on her open hands, like a platter.

“Ah… Thank you Ma’am,” he said, taking back his precious weapon and putting it on his back before scratching his cheek. “I’m going to secure the prisoners… _Behave_ Tony.”

“I resent that, Cap,” Iron Man called at his back before turning to Thor. “Why aren’t you surprised by the Little Mermaid, Big Guy?”

Thor blinked at him placidly, happy to stand quietly by his lady side until now, a hand on Jane’s waist. “I’m familiar with Lady Darcy’s heritage.”

Darcy told him after London. They had become buddies then and she had been curious about his knowledge of her species. It turned out she was right: they were merpeople in other realms than Midgard and, after his initial surprise, Thor had been delighted by the news. He had volunteered to take her to the sea as often as she wished which was… the sweetest thing anyone had done for her. She had taken him on his offer time and time again, and he had never seemed annoyed. The English Channel was cold but she had relished those opportunities for several months.

“Of course, you are,” Stark grumbled. “Alright Ariel, this is not over…”

“It is if you call me that again. It’s Darcy,” she immediately interrupted him. Stark was cool but that name was so _overdone_.

“Ok, Darcy. Don’t think I’ll forget about touching your scales.” He wiggled his eyebrows and she rolled her eyes with an amused smile. “But first, Coulson’s lackey, Thor has something to say about endangering his lady and his shield-sister.”

Triplett groaned heavily and looked up to Thor’s stern face. “It wasn’t supposed to happen. I swear. I’ll never have let them be in danger. We were supposed to be a distraction, an obvious enough one that they wouldn’t have engaged.” Stark snorted and Trip glared at him. “I _know_.” He glanced at Jane and Darcy. “I’m sorry.”

With her head on his shoulder, Darcy shrugged. “It’s okay. We’re all fine and I’ve payback material for _ages_.” She tilted her head up with a mischievous grin. “I saved your ass. _I_ was the superheroine badass and I’m going to have soooo much fun telling that to _everyone_.” She said in a sing-song voice. “I think you should call me The Great Mermaid from now on.”

He raised an eyebrow with an amused smile. “Is that so? SuperMermaid is too trite for you?”

She snorted and shrugged disdainfully. “Obviously!"

“I don’t know, The Great Mermaid just makes me think about that film and book… The Great Gatsby?” Jane noted with skepticism.

“Then what do you propose?” Darcy raised a hand. “No, you know what, hold that thought, we’ll do a brainstorming later, I just feel a lot of bullshit coming from that direction.” She pointed at Stark who closed his mouth and pouted.

“Orange Tail would have been a great idea,” he grumbled before flying away – to pout at his leisure, no doubt.

Darcy turned back to Trip and continued: “I’ll annoy Coulson to death by reminding him that _I_ saved Cap’s shield and _I_ got to play with it. For five seconds down there I was Turtle America and it was awesome. Stark has proof.”

Trip laughed, coughed, and laughed again.

Darcy was drenched and her clothes were sticking to her, but she was awesome! She took her wet glasses out of her cleavage and grabbed a corner of Thor’s cape to dry them. Putting her glasses back on with a flourish, she decided that her superhero name was going to be badass, like Commander Tsunami or something like that!

 

One hour later, Darcy was sitting on the rail with an amused smile as she watched Trip talking to Captain America. Her boyfriend was good at seeming laid-back but she knew he was bursting inside with fanboy feelings.

“Lewis!” Stark walked to her with a purposeful stride and a wicked smile. “Exactly who I wanted to see!”

Wide-eyed, Darcy stopped swinging her feet. “Don’t you dare St–”

Too late. He pushed her and she fell backwards with a curse before she could hold on. She emerged from the water, sputtering and pushing away her hair – she had left it free of her previous braid for it to dry. “I was finally dry! You’re so dead Stark! Get your ass here and let’s see if your precious suit can save your ass!”

Iron Man was hovering too high for her to grab him, faceplate closed, but she could _hear_ his smirk as he said to someone: “See that tail Bruce? I _told_ you I wasn’t kidding.”

Darcy glared at him. She could see Trip and Cap hovering against the rail from the corner of her eyes. She decided she might as well prove who was the Mistress of the Sea here! She dived in.

Iron Man was still talking to his friend when she suddenly jumped from the water. She heard him curse just before she caught him by the legs and dragged him in the ocean with her. Making sure her tail was away from his propellers, she swam higher and smirked at his faceplate, showing off her pointy teeth. He pointed his fingers at her like a gun and she stuck her tongue at him before letting him go.

She had been wearing a short skirt and a tank top. So, when she swam away he had a good view of her tail and she guessed that would satisfy him. As for her, she had other plans…

 

*

 

“Is she... showing off?”

Trip smiled but didn’t take his eyes off his girlfriend to answer Captain America: “I don’t think so, Sir. She doesn’t have much opportunity to come to the sea and just… play. I’m pretty sure she’s just genuinely having a blast.” She certainly looked like it in the middle of the dolphins’ group, jumping out of the water with them, doing acrobatics and taking poses. Now that the sky had clear, the light was shining on the water. She was a sight to behold.

“Watch out buddy, your eyes are shooting hearts like a cartoon character.” Iron Man was dripping as he lowered himself on the deck.

“Can you blame me? That’s my girlfriend, right here,” Trip replied with a proud smirk as he gestured to the dazzling sight.

“Yeah, about that, did you try the kinky stuff in the water y–”

“Tony!” Cap immediately objected.

“What? I’m just saying–”

“Don’t!”

“Orange Tail is–”

“Just shut up, Tony. Let me enjoy the dolphins.”

Trip smirked. His grand-pa was right. Captain America was fucking awesome.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Unfortunately this is not much because brain is still a bit... KO. I hope you liked it nonetheless.  
> To _Empress_of_Plotbunnies_ , I know you asked for Bruce, unfortunately I couldn't manage to make him show up here, it wouldn't have work out so... yeah... I'm going to do a third chapter to make up for it!  
> You can find me on lunaemoth.tumblr.com


	3. Lab Fish

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the #29 trope of the Challenge: **Clothes Sharing** , and for _Empress_of_Plotbunnies_ who requested Bruce.

“I don’t know,” Darcy mumbled, skeptical. Arms crossed in front of her, she stared at the big aquarium prepare for her with distaste. It took a large part of the Avengers Tower private labs, it was well lit, clean and everything… but it was still an aquarium and _she_ was not a fish.

“It’s safe Darcy, I assure you,” Jemma promised. “We monitor every parameter: temperature, oxygen, pH…”

“Yeah, alright, but it kinda feels like I’m a lab rat, you know.”

“Rats are boring, you’ll be a lab mermaid,” Stark commented.

“That’s not helping, Mr Stark,” Jemma noted as politely as she could when she wanted to glare at him (Darcy did it for her).

Dr Banner intervened, clearing his throat before explaining: “While I understand your dislike for the situation Miss Lewis, I assure you we’ll respect your boundaries and do our best to accommodate you.”

“Absolutely!” Jemma agreed with a bright smile, hands clasped. She was clearly refraining from hugging her idol (she had a bigger crush for Banner than for Jane, it was impressive).

“Yeah, I trust you… I guess,” Darcy mumbled. She rubbed her nose, still wondering why she had agreed to go along with the scientists’ request to study her mermaid’s form. She liked Jemma, that girl was just… likable. Who didn’t like her? No one, that wasn’t possible. Stark was funny and fooling around with him in the middle of the ocean had been fine but, out of her element and in his tower, it felt like the power balance wasn’t in her favor anymore. Then there was Banner who seemed nice and cool but was an unknown.

“Don’t worry,” Jemma continued, “I heard that Trip’ll be here really soon.”

“Actually, Miss Simmons, the quinjet has arrived and Mr Triplett is on his way,” JARVIS helpfully informed them.

“You called back-up, uh? That’s smart of you Jemma, but I thought Coulson needed him?” After their little boat trip, her boyfriend had been requisitioned. She hadn’t seen him for two weeks and she wasn’t expecting him for at least another week.

“Oh, you know, it wasn’t so important in the end…”

Darcy squinted. Her friend was fidgeting and so obviously lying. Banner and Stark were looking intently at their tablets… “You made some sort of arrangement, right?” She drawled slowly. Jemma’s face was the only thing she needed to know she was right. She was even worse than Jane in lying, which was saying something. “Some kind of ‘Avengers help SHIELD if SHIELD gives mermaid for super-scientists to play with’.”

“No!” Jemma protested.

“Yep,” Stark gleefully confirmed, “well, it was a bit more complicated than that…”

This time, Jemma really glared at the engineer – that was funny, Jemma glaring was like an angry kitten.

They were saved by the elevator opening on the labs level and Trip coming out in front of a lot more people. Darcy crossed her arms in front of her chest and snorted. “Well, if that’s supposed to help, let me tell: you it won’t. Way to make me feel like a freak show!”

Captain America was the only one decent enough to feel uncomfortable. Good man, he could stay. Jane – well, fine, Jane was okay – went to join the science club. Thor leaned against a wall with an encouraging smile – fine, he could stay too. Then there was a couple of badass that could be the Black Widow and Hawkeye – and uh… if she could stare at them back… fine, they could stay too… damn, they were hot.

Skye was with Trip and she was smiling like a looney trying not to squeal while she looked around avidly – her gaze always went back to Stark. Yeah, fine, she could stay also, if only because Darcy will have a field day teasing her about her crush!

Fortunately, her boyfriend was better than all of them. He smiled at her reassuringly and opened his arms, catching her without a complaint and hugging her tightly. “Come on, now, you know it’s not like that,” he said softly, his cheek against hers as he kissed her temple. “Everyone here thinks you’re amazing, that’s all,” he murmured.

Darcy grumbled and clung to him, hiding her face in his neck and mumbling: “I missed you.”

“I missed you too, baby,” he whispered back very softly, his breath caressing her ear. “Come on, the sooner you get this done, the sooner we can be alone,” he reminded her, stroking her back.

She sighed but nodded. “Alright, fine, but everyone owes me _so_ much after this, Coulson especially because I’m _not_ a bargaining chip!”

That got Skye’s attention. She asked Jemma: “You told her?” At the biologist sheepish face, Skye easily guessed what happened and shook her head with amusement.

Trip led his girlfriend to the stairs and helped her took of the bathrobe she was hiding behind. He glanced at the oversized black T-shirt she was only wearing underneath and smiled. “I was looking for that shirt everywhere.”

Darcy grabbed the fabric and hugged it tightly. “Get used to it. You left me, that’s the price to pay.”

He chuckled softly and kissed her hair, hugging her with one arm. “That’s fine by me.” He handed over the bathrobe to Skye, then Darcy’s glasses and kissed his girlfriend’s nose. They climbed the stairs and he lifted her in the aquarium, feet first.

Sitting on the edge, Darcy glanced at the scientists leaning over their screens. At Jemma’s encouraging smile, she sighed and let herself fall inside.

Her aquarium was big enough for her to swim, like a very tiny swimming-pool, which was her condition to agree with this. If she couldn’t swim, her mermaid form was torture. She didn’t transform in a bathtub after all.

As her second eyelids appeared first, immediately correcting her horrible eyesight (she didn’t pretend to understand how that work but she could see better underwater than above water), she looked outside and saw a holoprojection of her. The scientists were staring at it rather than her, which was easier to bear. Trip, however, was gazing at her with a soft smile. She was addicted to it. She purposefully shook her head in a way that will move her hair just as he liked it. His smile widened. Everyone else was focused on the apparition of her tail, but the couple was staring at each other’s eyes, nothing else mattered. The tension she had felt until now slowly loosened. She put a hand against the glass and he held his against the other side, mouthing a few words: “I love you.” She blew him a kiss.

It took a few minutes that she occupied by stretching before Jemma came to knock on the glass. Darcy rose above the water to hear her.

“Do you mind if we, uh… take a look at your gills?” the biologist asked as politely as she could.

Darcy removed her t-shirt, giving it back to Trip and showing off the modest swimsuit top she was wearing underneath. She heard several swear words and a few appreciative comments before she dove back under the water. Her gills were five wide slit on each side, just above her breasts. It wasn’t much sexy according to human’s standards and she was self-conscious about it.

She didn’t look at her audience, not until she caught sight of a hand against the glass and glanced at Trip’s supportive smile. She smiled back.

It took time, way too much time in Darcy’s opinion. She quickly got bored and had fun by splashing water on unsuspecting bystanders. She cackled when Stark glared at her, which prompted Dr Banner to marvel about her teeth. She helpfully showed off her two rows of pointy teeth, making face at Hawkeye when he came closer which seemed to amuse him to no end. They ended up having a competition of funny faces. Darcy totally won, but she agreed with him that the extra eyelids and teeth helped a lot. She decided she liked him.

After some time, most of her audience went away and she felt more comfortable staying above the water, arms and chin on the edge. The scientists were mostly prodding her holoprojection but Dr Banner came closer and cleared his throat before asking politely: “Would you mind if I, uh… look more closely to your gills and ask you a few questions?”

“Aww, you’re cute like a puppy.”

At Bruce’s startled face, Jane helpfully explained: “It means she has a soft spot for you. So, yes, Bruce, you can look.”

“Uh, uh, go ahead, and don’t mind me if I gaze at you while you talk, I’m bored and I want to pet your hair.”

Bruce cleared his throat again and ignored Stark’s snickers. “Ahem, thank you, I guess? I admit I thought Tony was playing an elaborate prank on me when he called, that first time, but this is truly fascinating. The double respiratory system alone is a wonder.”

“Oh, I totally agree, Dr Banner!” Jemma eagerly approved before going in a scientific debate that Darcy ignored. She was too busy glancing at Skye and wiggling her eyebrows while tilting her head at the couple. Her friend had difficulties to hide her snickers. Even Trip, who was leaning against the wall beside her, had to raise a hand to hide his smirk. Darcy even caught Stark’s glance who winked at her in an approving manner. Yeah, she wasn’t the only one shipping Dr Sanner!  

Feeling two sets of eyes on her, she made her most innocent face – she called it the Ariel face – and batted her eyelashes. “You were saying?” They were looking at her with the same suspicious squint. It was too cute for words. Darcy stretched her arms to nudge their noses, getting them wet while she was at it. “You’re cuties.”

Trip openly laughed and shook his head. “Alright, when she’s getting like that, it means she’s tired. You might want to finish this. This is only going to get worse,” he warned them.

Apparently, they were willing to hurry up if it meant escaping her. Ah! Just wait! She’ll get that ship sailing! She agreed to more of those lab dates, if only to be able to watch this growing romance like the soap opera it was (the drawback of living underwater? Not many snacks available, yeah, too bad).

 

*

 

“Are you okay?” Trip asked, concerned. He knew how nervous Darcy had been about that day. He may not have seen her for two weeks, but they stayed in contact and texting was Darcy’s expertise. Trip had been damn glad that Jemma managed to convince Coulson to send him to the Tower. Of course, he had been just as excited as Skye (how _she_ managed to convince Coulson, he wondered) to discover the place, but even seeing Captain America again had merely been a bonus.

He watched as Darcy came from the bathroom (she had an apartment in the tower and he wasn’t going to hesitate about using it when it also meant access to the same gym as Captain America), her hair brushed and nearly dried. She was wearing one of his sweaters and he distractedly noted he’ll need some new clothes if she stole his. He wasn’t going to complain. The sweater was too big, showing off one of her shoulder and stopping just under her ass. She looked delectable.

“I’m fine. Just a bit drained. You were right, it was fine, I worried for nothing.”

“A lot of them know how it feels, to be stare at… Cap… I mean, Steve…” He had been really insistent that Trip called him by his name, especially after hearing about his grand-father, but it wasn’t coming easy. “He was concerned about you. He pestered Stark until he was sure there wouldn’t be anything invasive.”

“Aww, that’s cute.” Darcy climbed on the bed and crawled to lie on his lap.

He petted her obligingly when she nudged his hand. “Hawkeye stayed in a corner until he was sure you were fine, even if it was obvious much he wanted to look closely at your tail when it appeared. I heard he was jealous that he didn’t get to see you play with dolphins.”

She laughed softly. “He’s funny. I like him. He can come and watch from closer next time,” she mumbled, burrowing in his chest.

“And Bruce Banner…”

“… was a cutie,” she concluded.

He chuckled. “Yes.” Her bare shoulder was too tempting. His large hand covered it, stroking the soft skin before he leaned over to kiss it, lick it and taste it.

Darcy hummed and tightened her hug. “I did well, didn’t I? Are you going to reward me?” She looked at him from under her eyelashes.

His left hand slid higher on her thigh and he nuzzled her throat. “Let’s see what we can do about that…” He didn’t want to get her out of his sweater just yet, but he could think of a few things before they came to that…

 

When he left two days later, Trip took Darcy’s scarf. It smelt like her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is shorter than the last two, sorry about that, but it was just meant to be a cute little chapter.  
> I discovered by writing this that I ship Bruce/Jemma, it just came out of nowhere but they're so cute! =)
> 
> I hope you liked it! You can find me on tumblr : lunaemoth.tumblr.com


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